Unforgotten
by austengirl91
Summary: Mary Bennet has often been the forgotten sister in her family, being the only one not obsessed with the goings on of the eligible men, but soon someone will come along who will change even Mary's mind on the benefits of being entangled.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is the first fanfic of this length that I have ever written, so I would appreciate any comments that you have! I know this is a really short chapter, but the second one is already in the works and will be published shortly. I am just really interested in what everyone thinks so let me know! Thanks, guys!

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Chapter 1: Regretfully Heard

Mary Bennet found herself yet again sitting at the piano on a Thursday morning while everyone else in her family seemed to run around mindlessly squawking about some trivial matter or another. She could never seem to understand what was so important that one must clomp around the entire house as if they were a horse and scream at the top of their lungs. Well, in this case, she could clearly hear what seemed to be so important. Her younger sister Kitty was sparing no one from the news of the new family in town.

"They have 3 sons and all are set to inherit grand estates and fortunes. Oh, Papa, please tell me you plan on inviting them for dinner. It would appear odd if we didn't."

Mary rolled her eyes at Kitty's cajoling tones, imagining the doe eyes that were certainly accompanying the sugared words. She didn't want to have these 3 boys over for dinner. If they were to inherit such grand estates then she was sure they would be just like the rest of the gentry that came to their country town: pretentious and entitled. Mary considered all of the men that had expected all the girls to prance and preen before them all so they could select the best of the bunch and consider her for a wife… or a mistress. Mary herself had never been one to prance or preen and therefore had never been a contender for any of the previous peacocks and the last thing that she wanted was to become a contender for one of these three. Her spirits sank when she heard her father's resonant answer:

"Of course I have invited them to dinner, Kitty, now quiet your chatter and go find some useful employment."

She resumed her Chopin piece, devoting her entire attention to the small ivory keys so she didn't have to think about what was coming. 3 boys at their house for dinner? What was her father thinking? He knew what a flirt Kitty was. She would never leave the poor boys alone… not that they wouldn't deserve it knowing their type. She was sure that they would no doubt bask in the glow of such mindless worship. Her sister was a ninny. Plain and simple. Mary was determined not to be one of those girls. She would wait for a husband who cared about real things like music and books, the things that she loved most in the world.

"Mary… what are you thinking about?"

Mary jumped as she heard Kitty's voice right behind her. She realized that she had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she had completely stopped playing.

"Oh, nothing really. I was just considering what I might wear to dinner tonight if the Bradford sons are coming."

Kitty's eyes grew wide and she started to grin. It was then that Mary realized what a terrible mistake she had just made. She never put special attentions into getting herself prepared unless she absolutely had to. This dinner did not fall under that category. Kitty thought that her sister was finally coming around to the idea of being fully female, which in her mind, included caring about all sorts of frilly things like new dresses, curling irons, and ribbons. Mary hated ribbons… or frills of any kind really. She wanted to scream as she realized that her sister would be completely dejected if she did not accept her inevitable invitation to get ready with her, so she held her breath hoping that this one time, Kitty would just drop the subject and leave.

"Oh Mary, how exciting it is going to be! I can hardly wait! Of course we shall get dressed together! We can go to town and buy ribbons for our dresses… well, my dresses I should say since I will have to lend you one of mine since yours have no color whatsoever."

Mary felt her shoulders drooping under the weight of Kitty's new expectations. She thought to herself that she might as well go with it now that she had gotten the girl started. This was Kitty's great love, and Mary was loath to disappoint her family. So, off to town they went.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Something New

The blush in Kitty's cheeks grew as her eyes wandered around the store and Mary couldn't help but feel a little bit happy that she had been able to help make her sister happy. She knew that Kitty had been feeling down ever since Lidia, Elizabeth and Jane had been married and moved away. To tell the truth, they were probably each the last sibling the other would have chosen to be left at home with, but they were still sisters and because of this Mary could enjoy the light in her little sister's eyes.

"Oh, Mary, I think we shall get you a nice dark green. It will bring out your beautiful skin and your hair nicely" Kitty gushed as she ran her fingers down a length of ribbon that even Mary had to admit was quite beautiful.

"Yes, Kitty, it looks perfect! You always did have the best taste in ribbon," Mary cooed to her sibling. Kitty however was smiling vapidly over Mary's shoulder while she turned her shoulders just so and tilted her head a touch. Mary sighed none too subtly, knowing the all-too-familiar signs: Kitty had just seen a man.

"Mary! He's coming over here! Quickly, now, think of something to say that isn't completely horrible." Kitty whispered urgently. Mary frowned. She always had plenty to say that was interesting, didn't she? Music and books showed what an educated young lady she was; that she was more than your average brainless mouse. No matter that she could talk someone's ear off about any subject regarding her favorite composers, not that she ever felt the need to join in on conversations and present much of her knowledge.

As Mary pondered over what her sister could possibly mean, a masculine voice drowned out her mind's worrying completely. "Do you ladies need any company?" Mary turned around to see the most handsome face she had ever seen in life. An artist's dream come to life, standing there smiling down at… _her_?! She glanced over at Kitty to see that her sister had noticed the same problem. The man most definitely was addressing Mary, not Kitty. Mary noticed that she was now clenching the beautiful ribbon tightly in her left hand as she faced the man, her mind blank.

"W-w-well, as a m-matter of fact, w-we were just l-leaving," Mary stuttered, "B-but you are welcome to join us."

Kitty turned to look at her sister incredulously. _What did you just say?!?!_ her eyes were practically screaming. Mary rolled her eyes at her sister. She was tired of Kitty thinking that she had no social skills at all. She would prove just how wrong Kitty was. She squared her shoulders and turned back to the man, smiling.

"That sounds lovely!" the stranger said, clicking his heels together and bowing slightly. "My name is William Bradford, miss, at your service."

Mary's eyes grew wide with surprise. So this was one of the boys Kitty was clamoring about earlier. "Well, my name is Mary Bennet. I believe your family is joining ours for dinner this evening."

"A beautiful name, but even so it doesn't do justice to the wonderful creature before me. And yes, I believe you are right, my father had mentioned something about dinner with the Bennets tonight." Mary blushed at the compliment. _What is the matter with me?_ she thought, _I am never like this with men… this is how Kitty behaves, not me_. Not knowing quite how to respond, Mary turned to her little sister who had apparently already turned her back on the conversation to start looking at ribbons again.

"Kitty, I am going to get this green ribbon. I'm going to pay and then I will meet you outside." Her sister's eyes grew wide with shock, but she nodded. It was unheard of for a girl to be in the company of a man she wasn't familiar with alone. Mary shrugged off her sister's concern. She was likely to only be alone with the man for a few minutes, and they would be on a crowded street where everyone in town could see them. There was nothing to worry about.

Mary walked up to the counter and laid her coins out while she waited for the salesgirl to wrap up her ribbon. "That color will look beautiful on you, Miss Bennet." She jumped as William's voice sounded right behind her ear. She turned around, startled to find him so close.

Mary's mind went blank as she searched for a response, but all that came out was "Please, call me Mary." William smiled warmly, gently picked up her hand and whispered "Of course, Mary" before placing a quick kiss on her hand. Mary felt close to fainting, something she had the sense never to do before in her life. She always thought that girls who swoon when a man says sweet words were weak and foolish. Yet, here she was, swooning at William Bradford's flirtations. "But you must call me William in return" he said, winking.

Mary smiled as she felt her cheeks flush, "alright…. William."

His grin grew wide as he nodded his head to her and said, "Well, I must be off. Now that I know there is going to be such a rapturous woman at dinner tonight, I shall be sure to look my very best. Deliver my goodbyes to your sister. I will see you tonight… Mary." He said her name on a half-whisper that sent shivers up her spine.

She gave the salesgirl her best smile as she accepted the ribbon. She turned around and looked for Kitty. She would never believe this!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This is something that I forgot to put on the first two chapters, but in case someone doesn't already know this, I do not own these characters, they are taken from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.**

Chapter 3

"Alright, so tell me one more time." Kitty said patiently as she continued to curl Mary's hair.

Mary sighed, but acquiesced, knowing her sister would chirp on and on about how important it was to be prepared if she expected any sort of advantage to come of this. "Look at Lizzie and Jane. That's how happy you could be! You may not have quite so much money as Lizzie, but you'll have more than Jane at least. William is the first son, so he's bound to bring a handsome amount with him" she would say, staring seriously into the reflected image of Mary's eyes, which somehow managed to make her more uncomfortable than if Kitty had just turned her head to look at her normally.

Mary took a deep breath and recited, "William is the eldest. He loves horseback riding and shooting. Addison is the middle son, a student of music and literature. Emmett is the youngest, one not to be bothered with as he is engaged to a French girl… er…. whose name…. is….." Mary tried as best she could to remember, but she was never good with French.

"Mary! You must know this! For the sixth time… Amelie!" Kitty screeched, waving the heated curling iron dangerously close to Mary's face. "Please tell me you aren't going to completely go blank during dinner tonight" she sighed.

"Er…" Mary wasn't quite sure how to respond, but apparently this was enough for Kitty to go on as she just sighed even deeper than before and said, "Lord, Mary, if it happens then just pretend to feel faint and leave to collect yourself for goodness sake!"

"I'm sure everything will go as planned, Kitty" Mary tried to reassure her nervous sister. This apparently didn't help. Quite the opposite in fact, as Kitty just glared at her through the mirror. Mary quickly dropped her gaze to her hands clutched together in her lap as Kitty continued working on her hair.

Mary's mind was reeling as she quickly tried to memorize all her facts as Kitty tied her emerald green ribbon around the waist of the yellow dress that Kitty had allowed her to borrow. Mary's mind fell silent as she examined herself in the mirror. She had originally been dubious when Kitty pulled the yellow concoction out of her bureau, but Mary had reluctantly agreed, knowing that facing Kitty's wrath was a much worse consequence than just wearing the dress. Now that she actually saw it all put together, however, she had to admit that the effect was quite striking. The bright color of the dress was an effective contrast to her dark hair and eyes, which in turn brought out her fair complexion. The green ribbon had been a good choice, as it made the yellow look much more luxurious than it actually was.

Mary smiled as she gazed at her reflection, thinking for the first time ever _wow… maybe I am pretty. At least a little. Well, at least for tonight. _She could live with just tonight. All she wanted to see now was William's reaction to her perfectly coiffed hair and her stunning outfit. She could already imagine that wicked glint his eyes had when he smiled at her. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she envisioned what he would look like dressed up tonight. _I do believe I am infatuated _she thought as she giggled to herself.

Kitty turned around from where she had been considering shoes to look at her sister. "Is everything alright, Mary? Was that you I just heard?"

"Yes, Kitty it was me. Everything is fine… everything is perfect," Mary said, still smiling at herself in the mirror. Kitty smiled at her sister. Even though the young girl could be selfish sometimes… well, if she was honest with herself, most of the time, she still got satisfaction out of making her sister so happy. She could now only hope that William Bradford was as honorable as his family name promised.

As soon as the two girls had each chosen a pair of shoes for the evening, Kitty grabbed Mary's hand and led her to the stairway. The two girls reached the bottom just as the knock sounded on the door.

Kitty turned to face Mary and took both of her sister's hands into her own and beamed at her, "This is it Mary! You will be wonderful! I just know it!"

"Thank you so much for all your help, Kitty! I couldn't ask for a better sister!" Mary gushed, which was very uncharacteristic for her. Kitty smiled as she realized the significance of this.

"Well then," the younger girl said, "we can't be seen out here when they come in, we must run to the sitting room!"

The two quickly slipped into the family's sitting room as they heard maid open the front door and let the Bradford family inside.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I am so sorry that this update came so late, but I am really busy with a class I am taking, and I am about to start rush, so another chapter might be a little while in the making, but I promise it will be up as soon as humanly possible!!!! R&R! Thanks, loves!

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Chapter 4

The Bradford family walked into the Bennet's sitting room to find the two young daughters of the family waiting to welcome them. Lady Bradford looked over the two girls as though trying to find some fatal flaw to sink her teeth into. Apparently finding none, she merely sniffed and made a stiff curtsy.

Mary and Kitty, having already rose and performed the necessary curtsies, nodded their heads to the Bradford matriarch and guided her to the best seat in the room.

"We are so pleased that you're family was able to join us for dinner, Lady Bradford. We apologize for our parent's absence, but it seems that my father's manager had a fall and so they are just finishing up some business in his place." Mary said with her perfectly memorized society smile plastered on her face.

Lord Bradford nodded to his wife with a smile and the woman turned to the girls and responded, "That's quite all right girls, we are perfectly happy to fill their absence with your delightful company in the meantime." Mary noticed an almost hungry glint in the woman's eyes as if she were looking forward to digging up something on the two ladies sitting in front of her. Kitty flicked her eyes over to Mary nervously, showing that she had felt the same.

Mary smiled, a little nervously now, at the new family. She wasn't yet sure quite what to make of the odd assortment of people. Lord Bradford was a stout, older man with a thick head of grey hair, who still maintained a roguish glint in his eye when apprising a truly special specimen of the female sex. His cheeks seemed to be stained perpetually red and his eyes were constantly shiny which simultaneously lent him an air of cheeriness and lechery at the same time.

Lady Bradford was almost painfully thin, with a pinched look to her face. Her constant scowl reminded Mary of a piano tutor she once had who had always brought a switch with her to smack her student's knuckles when she missed a note. The dress the lady wore was in a dark purple color, which on her slight frame was immensely overpowering, but Mary assumed that the color was worn merely to show her aristocratic standing prominently. The woman's hair was streaked with grey and pulled back into a tight chignon, which made her stern appearance even more frightening. Both Bennet girls felt a chill just from one sweep of those cold, grey eyes over them.

The sons, on the other hand, seemed to be a thoroughly normal lot. Mary smiled to herself as she noticed this. Somehow, the offspring of these two strange people had managed to completely disregard their parent's behaviors and grow up to be gorgeously suitable young men.

The youngest, Emmett, was standing with his hands behind his back and his eyes slightly unfocused, seeming to be somewhere else entirely. Mary smiled as she realized the likely reason for this distraction. The girl cleared her throat gently as she looked at the young man, "How is your fiancée, Mr. Bradford?" The blonde man seemed to jump a little as the question startled him out of his reverie. He smiled, showing one of the kindest faces that Mary could ever admit to having seen. She was not surprised that some lucky girl had snatched this one up quickly. His glinting white teeth, perfectly azure eyes and just a slight spattering of freckles lent a boyish charm to the man's demeanor. "She is lovely, thank you for asking, Ms. Bennet." Mary just smiled and nodded as she moved her attentions over to the next Bradford son.

Addison Bradford seemed also to be in his own world, but his eyes were dark and brooding. His jet-black hair fell into his eyes a little as he stared into the fire with quiet intensity. The stillness of his entire person was unsettling to behold. His hands were clasped tightly behind his back as he stood with his weight on his right leg and his left leg perched out slightly in front of him. Mary would have doubted that life coursed through the body at all if she hadn't been able to see the man's eyes. It was like witnessing a fierce storm erupting behind the glassy surfaces. It was at once the most exciting and the most terrifying thing that she had ever seen. Suddenly, the man's head swiveled around and looked directly into Mary's eyes. She gasped, her hands automatically clutching the fabric of her skirt, as his gaze seemed to drill straight through her and into her soul. Mary managed to wrench her gaze away from the startling man, preferring instead to allow the last person in the room to catch her full attention.

There he was, standing in all his glory in a dark blue waistcoat and light tan breeches. His white silk stockings were perfectly pressed and his black shoes gleamed, even in the firelight. Her gaze made its way back up to the perfectly sculpted face of William Bradford. His amazing jaw line sported just the slightest tease of a shadow and as Mary raked her gaze further up the Adonis-like face, she met with the most heart-wrenchingly beautiful set of hazel eyes she had ever seen. Her breath seemed to catch as the hazel orbs seemed to catch her gaze and hold it prisoner, his perfectly proportioned mouth curling up in a slight smirk at her attention. His shining black hair was neatly combed back away from his face, affording Mary an uninterrupted view of what must surely be God's crowning masterpiece.

Kitty glanced over at her sister, not knowing how to break the long pause that had settled over the group of people. Once she noticed that her sister was otherwise engaged, she frantically tried to think of something to say. She cursed Mary silently. She knew that Kitty was no good in these stiffly formal settings. Just as Kitty was about to open her mouth, hoping that something dreadfully foolish wouldn't come out, her parents walked into the sitting room.

Mr. Bennet dipped into a short bow and said, "Lord and Lady Bradford, please accept our most heartfelt apologies for our lateness, unfortunately we had to take care of some business dealings after our manager was injured."

Kitty exhaled slowly, relief flooding her. Now, she knew, the conversation would rely solely upon the older people in the room, which was just fine with her, "and just fine with Mary, by the looks of it" the girl thought to herself with a grin.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Dinner was, for the most part, uneventful. The conversation centered on similar business dealings that both Mr. Bennett and Lord Bradford had been involved in. The ladies of each house discussed the most recent wedding in the town, both being close with the bride's family.

After dinner, the two families retired to the sitting room and sat with the windows standing open to catch the slight summer breeze. Mary stared out the window as she thought back on the incessant wedding chatter during dinner. She would never understand her mother's unending fascination with finding a mate for each of her daughters. She seemed to have found her perfect match in Lady Bradford, however, as the older woman was in a similar search for her sons. The matron had admitted to having a long list of credentials the potential ladies must possess.

"Our family has been credited with a long line of very talented women, and I am determined to find such a young lady for my William," Edlyn Bradford said, looking pointedly at her eldest whose eyes had been glued to the Mary Bennett girl all evening.

As Edlyn wondered if her son was listening a small quirk of his lips gave him up and she knew that he was paying close attention to everything, as usual. This skill had lent to his mischievous nature as a child. Ever looking attentive, her son would somehow concoct and carry out his little schemes. She smiled to herself as she reminisced. She must find someone worthy of her favorite, and she was very interested in what she had seen tonight. She thought to herself, _William would find himself a worthy match in the young Kitty Bennett_. Edlyn could clearly see the interest her son was displaying for the elder daughter, who was currently seated at the piano playing a nice little piece for the guests. _No matter, I will make sure he forgets her soon enough_.

The matron's eyes drifted over to where the younger Bennett girl was sitting, gossiping with her mother about some young lady who had lately been caught in a compromising position with her father's stable boy. Edlyn's eyes widened a little, for she had somehow remained unaware of this latest disgrace in the town, which seemed impossible, for Edlyn's one true love was a good piece of gossip. She smiled a little as she realized just how apt her choice had been, and she leaned in to listen more closely to the conversation between the two Bennett women.

As soon as William noticed his mother's sudden change of interest, he decided now was the time to take his chance. He rose and started slowly sauntering over to the piano by the window where Mary Bennett sat playing a beautiful tune. Just before he reached her, his view was suddenly blocked by a black waistcoat topped with slightly messy black hair. William cursed to himself but, deferring to his manners, sidestepped to lean against the doorway leaving his little brother to ask what he was sure would be some silly little question about the girl's favorite song or composer or the like. His usual perfect poise quickly changed as he heard the question that actually left the younger's lips.

**A/N: Again, sorry this took so long! The next chapter is already in the works and should be up within the next few days!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Lucky ducks! Two chapters in one day! I hope you enjoy and again thank you thank you thank you to all my readers! You guys rock the socks right off my feet!**

Chapter 6

Mary glanced up from where she was playing piano by the window to see William staring at her intently. Her cheeks flushed and she quickly returned her gaze to the piece in front of her. Her fingers fumbled over a few notes, so she started counting beats in her head, attempting desperately to calm her nerves. _One two three four one two three four why is he still staring at me? Doesn't he know it's making me nervous? _Mary thought to herself. _One two three four why is he getting up? Two three four. Goodness, Mary, calm down! He's coming over here! _

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the elegant man slowly approaching. As Mary took a deep breath to ward off the sudden flurry of butterflies in her stomach, something blocked William from her sight. She turned her head to identify the obstruction and saw Addison step up and lean against the side of her piano.

Mary's eyebrows knit in confusion as the young man with the stormy eyes leaned a little closer and whispered, "Miss, would you condescend to take a stroll in the garden with a young man? I can promise you I have only the best intentions and you are entirely safe with me."

Through his entire speech, the man never smiled. Mary was absolutely thunderstruck. She had never been asked to take a stroll in her entire life. It was something that happened to her older, more beautiful sisters, not her. Wide-eyed and speechless, she silently offered her hand to the attractive young man.

As he accepted her proffered hand, something flashed through his face… an expression akin to victory, Mary thought. As the couple walked past the obviously enraged William, Mary saw Addison's lips quirk up at the corners, but the man never even glanced at his brother.

As the door shut behind them, Addison immediately turned to Mary, his face mere inches from hers.

"Are you in love with my brother, Miss Bennett?"

It was certainly the last question Mary had expected from the young man and most definitely not one she was willing to entertain.

"I am sure that is not your affair, Mr. Bradford, although I will admit to only having met your brother today, so I will leave it to you to decide how fickle you believe my feelings to be." Mary was surprised at how annoyed she had been at the question, but even more so at her response. Normally, she would have had no problem simply saying no and moving on with the conversation, but something about the certainty in Addison's eyes had her defenses up.

"Oh believe me, Ms. Bennett, I cast no shadow of doubt on the strength of your emotions, but many people fall in love on first sight. I was merely under the conclusion that's what occurred between you and my brother," the raven-haired man responded, turning on his heel and offering his arm to Mary.

Taking his arm, Mary failed in controlling her snort of derision at the idea presented to her. "Without doubt, Mr. Bradford, your brother is a truly handsome man that many a girl would find herself swooning over, but I myself am not in their number. I do not believe in baseless feelings of any kind, love upon first sight at the top of that list." She chose to ignore the small voice inside her head reminding her that she had been swooning over the aforementioned man earlier that same day.

Addison chuckled. "You are decidedly the least silly girl I have met in some time. I find it quite refreshing. Finally someone who would rather talk to a man than simply drag him onto the dance floor, giggling like some inane idiot."

Mary smiled. She found herself immensely entertained by the frighteningly accurate portrait of most of the girls in town that Addison had painted. "Now that I know we are quite agreed on the matter I must insist that you call me Mary from now on."

"Only if I am allowed to insist that you call me Addison," he said, smiling, his eyes lighting up for the first time that evening.

"Of course, Addison. I am so glad I've had the chance to talk to you this evening. I foresee us becoming great friends," Mary said.

"I find myself hoping so, Mary," Addison responded as they found themselves back in front of the door again. Nodding politely, Addison held the door open for her and Mary reentered her family home to find William awaiting their return.

"There you two are! I thought I might have to come out there and find you!" William laughed, although the mirth did not reach his eyes as he looked at his younger brother. His expression softened as he turned to Mary.

Taking her hand in his, he gave Mary a roguish smile saying, "We will be on our way now, Mary. I am so sorry that we did not get the chance to talk this evening, though I hope you will save a dance for me at your sister's ball?"

_Ball? What ball?_ Mary couldn't remember anyone telling her about a ball. _Ah, but of course. Jane's anniversary is coming up and Kitty would have insisted she celebrate in style. Why does nobody tell me about these things? _Mary silently fumed, but let it go immediately when she realized that a man was asking her to save him a dance at a ball… and not just any man, but William Bradford! Suddenly finding herself uncharacteristically giddy, she smiled and replied, "I'll look for you."

William grinned like a child who had just been granted a sack of sweets and kissed Mary's hand before clapping his brother's shoulder and saying "well, Addie, wouldn't want to keep father and mother waiting, we must be on our way." Bowing to Mary, William turned and headed towards the front of the house.

"It has been a pleasure, Mary," Addison said, bowing as well before taking his leave. Mary noticed that he was no longer smiling. The light in his eyes had already gone out and the storm was raging full force once again.


End file.
